Novak Djokovic’s Golden Slam dream dies in Olympic semifinals

Novak Djokovic’s Golden Slam dream dies in Olympic semifinals

Novak Djokovic, who has been unbeatable for most of this year, lost to world No. 5 Alexander Zverev in the Olympic semifinals.

The 34-year-old fell 1-6, 6-3, 6-1 to the German.

Djokovic, the top-ranked player in the world had been hoping to become the first man to win a Golden Slam, meaning he’d win all four majors and the Olympics in the same calendar year. Only Steffi Graf accomplished the feat in 1988.

Novak DjokovicNovak Djokovic will not compete in the men’s individual tennis final.AP

The Serbian already triumphed at the Australian Open, French Open and Wimbledon this year. However, with his semifinals loss, Djokovic’s bid is gone.

“He won 20 Grand Slams,” Zverev said. “So you can’t have everything.”

Djokovic took the first set within 37 minutes, but Zverev fired back to clinch the match and a spot in the Olympic final in the final two sets.



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Zverev, 24, will now face Karen Khachanov of the Russian Olympic Committee for the gold medal. Djokovic – a 2008 bronze medallist — will compete in the bronze medal match against Spain’s Pablo Carreño Busta.

However, Djokovic’s hopes for his first gold medal will not end with this loss. He and mixed doubles partner Nina Stojanovic will compete in the semifinals against the ROC’s Elena Vesnina and Aslan Karatsev.

“I told him that he’s the greatest of all time,” Zverev said. “I know that he was chasing history, he was chasing (the) Golden Slam. … We’re very close. … So of course I’m happy that I’ve won, but in the end of the day I also know (how) he feels.”

Djokovic still has the opportunity to win the traditional Grand Slam — the first for a man since Rod Laver in 1969 — if he is victorious in the U.S. Open next month. At the Queens major, Djokovic will also have the opportunity to set a new men’s tennis record for majors titles, surprising Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, who are tied with the Serbian with 20.